


Sounds Like You Were Dealt a Bad Hand

by GeneralGeryuganshoop



Series: The Doctor's Throwaway Drabbles. [5]
Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: Editing? What's that, Nonbinary Androxus (Paladins), Nonbinary Character, Pip is a Good Friend, Pip is a little shit, Pip says Dick exactly once., Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneralGeryuganshoop/pseuds/GeneralGeryuganshoop
Summary: Pip notices Androxus acting odd. And not normal, cursed, forever hungry for souls odd.
Relationships: Pip & Androxus (Paladins), Pip/Androxus (Paladins), if you squint
Series: The Doctor's Throwaway Drabbles. [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1265423
Kudos: 9





	Sounds Like You Were Dealt a Bad Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda random, but I like it, and I wrote it at like 10:30, and am uploading it at 11:30 the same day, so there's no editing done.

Pip had a question for Androxus, but approaching the topic didn’t exactly seem easy.

It was about their arm. More specifically, the one Androxus told them never to touch. Now, Pip wasn’t the best at following directions he’d been given, but he’d never considered the idea until recently. 

It was primarily because of the day he’d caught Androxus hiding away from the team, groaning in pain while gripping their arm, which appeared to be more… glowy than usual. It wasn’t affecting their performance in battle, in fact, they seemed almost more powerful, more ruthless in the way they engaged enemies. Pip, of course, knew about Androxus’ need for soul energy, even becoming a source himself when the team went long times without engaging in conflicts with the Magistrate. It never seemed exactly painful, just exhausting. A quick nap and he was over it. But the enemies they’d engaged with recently looked to be in serious pain after Androxus did his thing. He’d almost spared a few healing catalysts on them. Almost.

Hey, supplies were low.

He decided to approach the topic when the two were alone. Getting the two of them put on perimeter checks, and asking them when they were far away from the rest of the camp.

“So… Andy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Right. Androxus, so, you-ah, you been feeling alright?” That got him an eyebrow raise. He still couldn’t tell if that was a mask, or his face. He’d never grabbed his face to see if it was anything other than skin. It wasn’t like he was sitting on his shoulders like he did with some of the taller Paladins.

Hey, he’s short, and he weighs about 24 pounds if he had a heavy breakfast, they can handle carrying him so he doesn’t have a heat stroke.

“I have been fine. What compelled you to ask?” Something told Pip that Androxus wanted him to drop the topic, but he wasn’t going down that easily.

‘Well, there’s how you’ve been kind of dodgy lately, you’ve been more angry with fights, and I… may or may not have seen you grabbing your arm in pain.” Androxus stopped, and grabbed his arm.

“If you tell anyone about this, we’ll be serving fox for dinner.”

“First of all, I’m a vulpin. Foxes are wild animals. They lick themselves clean, and scratch at themselves all day.”

“Please. I’ve seen you licking away at yourself when you think no-one sees.” Pip’s tail stopped its usual light wag at that.

“That’s uh… that’s not for cleaning.” Androxus scoffed.

“Please. What else could it be for…” Their arms dropped to their sides as it dawned on them. “Oh. So you were…” Pip nodded. “You know, it’s probably easier to just use your hands.”

“Just because you’re not flexible- Wait, we’re getting off topic. What’s up dude? Even if we’re not exactly on the same side, we still work together more often than we don’t. If you’re hurt it does me no good.” 

“I’m not hurt. It’s this wretched curse. It’s growing, just as it always does as we approach the solstice, it’ll recede all the same when the solstice is over. I just have to be more careful. I always try to take energy, but in this state, if I touch someone, I could rend their soul from their body.”

“Wow. That’s rough.” Androxus stared at him.

“Ya think?” Pip flinched at that. He was good at conversation, right up until it got serious. Then he was terrible.

They continued border patrols, and returned to camp, leading Pip to mull over what he’d learned.

* * *

He made some gloves.

They were different from his regular, fingerless gloves, these ones were several layers thick, and used Moji’s dragons shedded hide for added protection. They were much longer too, extending down his forearms. A few of his fellow Paladins questioned him on his motives for making them, especially when he’d expressed a clear enjoyment of his fingerless ones before. He evaded the question by vaguely addressing a desire for new concoctions, but he didn’t give any specifics. Only he knew what they were really to be used for.

“Androxus, can you come help me gather some of these crystals, they seem like they’d do some good in something.” They stopped what they were doing, and made their way over to where he was calling from.

“What do you want?” It was only then Pip thought that Androxus could use some advice in how to communicate with others.

“First off, these crystals look like they could be used for some form of explosive, which is always a good reason to get something, but also…” He held up his gloves, gaining a head tilt from the normally stoic combatant in front of him. “I made you gloves so you don’t have to worry about y’know, the whole soul stealing thing.” Androxus didn’t make any moves to take them, which worried Pip at first, but slowly he grabbed them and put them on. He flexed his fingers, and moved his wrists, and approached a docile feline of some sort in the area. He reached out to it with his cursed arm. The feline sniffed at his hand, before leaning into his touch.

Its soul stayed firmly attached to its body.

“Wow, normally I wouldn’t pat myself on the back, but I think I did a pretty good job on tho-” He was cut off by a sudden hug from Androxus. He was still careful not to touch him with the uncovered part of his arm, but it was a hug all the same. 

“Thank you, Pip.”

“It was no trouble, really. Can I ask a question though?”

“...What is it?”

“Is that a mask, or your face?”

“...It’s a mask. And you can’t see what’s under it, so don’t ask.”

“C’mon! You’ve seen me licking my dick before, I think a face is less private considering you show one of those things to people on a daily basis.” Androxus groaned.

“You know, I’ve been trying to get that image out of my head all day.” Pip laughed, laughing even harder at the way Androxus was looking at him.

“Sorry. Let’s grab some of these crystals like we said we were doing. I want some new explosions.” They nodded, and the gathering went smoothly. 

They arrived at camp with handfuls of crystals, Androxus wearing some new gloves, and closer than they had been before, however generic it may sound.


End file.
